Glenn's Alignment & Brake Service - Weekend Warrior

At a car show one of the first questions that usually pop out of a spectator's mouth when they begin to grill an exhibitor about their classic car or truck is what is it, and how much is it worth? When it comes to one classic owner talking to another the first couple of questions are usually where do you find parts for it, and who did the work? After the part sources have been revealed, and the conversation moves on to who did what, there's a good chance the owner performed a lot of the work himself. Interestingly though there is one task classic car, and truck enthusiasts rarely handle themselves and that's the frontend alignment. Ninety-nine percent don't, would probably be a safe bet.

When the topic of frontend alignment, brake and suspension work came up recently at the Donut Derelicts in Huntington Beach, California, an impromptu custom car show that has occurred early every Saturday morning for almost 25-years it was interesting to hear what the guys had to say. Right out of the gate the number one complaint was that it's hard to find an alignment shop that's knowledgeable about older vehicles. Contrary to what it would seem with the newer vehicles all having more sophisticated suspension and steering systems one might think the older simpler designs would be a snap to get serviced. That said the reality of it is there's not a lot of frontend shops left that are familiar with rudimentary suspensions. That is until the name Glenn's Alignment & Brake Service in neighboring Costa Mesa, California came up. As we spoke with more and more classic owners at the donut shop they all agreed Glenn's wasn't a discount chain store where a zit-faced kid hops in your vehicle with a screwdriver in his back pocket, but rather a quality shop that specializes in restoration grade suspension work..

Of course we realize not everyone reading this can hop in their truck, and make the trek to Costa Mesa, California, to have Glenn's do alignment work, but after a firsthand look for ourselves we did learn a few tips to share. The first thing Glenn did when we arrived was to give us a tour of his 10,000-square-foot facilities, and explain how the 30 year-old business has evolved through the years. The key right from the start was to never cut corners and always use the highest quality parts available. The second half is where the problem really begins because with the advent of countries like China, India, and a few more involved in the game of re-popping inferior knock-offs it's easy to end up with rubber lacking polymers, or low-grade metals that are too soft. Glenn told us he would rather spend three-times the amount to buy a part from a trusted source rather than install parts he suspects will expire prematurely. Beyond good quality, Glenn mentioned having a fully equipped machine shop with a lathe, mill, and TIG welder was also an advantage when the need arose to custom fabricate, or modify parts to fit properly. The tip here is before having someone work on your truck, take a good look around their shop, and evaluate what their commitment to the trade is. If they don't have the right equipment, they can't do the job.

If you ever find yourself in Costa Mesa, and you'd like to see a neat shop full of cool vehicles, or have quality suspension work done give Glenn's a call at (949) 631-2998 and they'll be happy to give you directions.